Little Gestures
by theninth29
Summary: Five times Stiles' friends notice Derek's little—disgustingly sweet—gestures toward Stiles, and one time Stiles does./You don't need to read 'The Series of Humiliating Misunderstanding' first, but it'll make it easier to relate things if you do./
1. Chapter 1: Lydia - Three Days Later

Lydia is walking down the aisle of the vegetables part of the supermarket when she hears an all too familiar voice rambling about the whole male circumcision. She rolls her eyes fondly, that would none other than Stiles. She's about to call out to him when she sees who it is standing next to her friend. Derek Hale. It's only been three days since Stiles and Derek talk to each other in Red Riding Hood, the heavenly small shop, only the two of them (he told Lydia about it), and she honestly thinks they hit it off immediately.

Only been three days, and of course they're groceries shopping together, of course, why hasn't she thought of bringing Aiden with her before?

She's one of the most thrilled people among their friends, aside from Scott, when Stiles told them about his crush on the Sourwolf—how Stiles called the man before he puts a name to a face—a year ago. She still remembers exactly that he said, "He's so grumpy I want to put a smile to that ridiculously attractive face."

She's a good judge of a character. Not to show off, she sometimes just knows who has a good intention towards them and who has a bad one. That guy Danny befriended with two years ago, for example. He was almost ruining Danny and Ethan's relationship, almost. Too bad she discovers the lies he shoves Danny with, and too bad Danny loves Ethan too much to care.

Alright, Stiles is starting to rub off on her. Since when has she developed a habit to ramble off even in her thoughts?

Anyway, back to the point, when she first saw Derek, she just knew he was the perfect one for Stiles, with all his goods and his flaws. Not-so-rarely she catch Derek took a glance towards Stiles just as much as Stiles did Derek. She kept quiet about it, if only to see how long it would take for them to get their heads out of their asses and just make a move.

She should thank Laura, in all honesty, because if that stunning woman hadn't dragged Derek down to their table in that fateful day, Lydia swears she would have done Stiles. They both created the UST without each other's knowledge, and it was starting to drive her nuts.

Of course, even though she's a good judge of a character, she wouldn't have known Derek is such a cliché if she hasn't seen it for herself when she watches them pay, or, more like, Derek pays.

"Damn it, Derek, I said I would pay."

"You did yesterday for the coffees and lunches. These junk of foods would end up in my apartment, anyway."

"But I would definitely be the one who swipe them empty. I have a stomach's capacity of a dragon." Though as Stiles says this, Derek gives the cashier his card, and Stiles does nothing to prevent it from happening. Lydia chuckled. How cute.

"I know."

"Hey! You're not supposed to agree to that!" Stiles let out an indignant noise. Derek laughs. "Wait, you—don't try to change the subject."

"I don't. You do."

"Fine. But this thing isn't done and I'm paying next time."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, sweetie."

"Swee—Derek, tell me you didn't just call me that. Grumpy, Broody, Gloomy Derek Hale didn't just call me a swee—wait, no, you know what? I don't want to finish that word."

Derek laughed, "But I just did, Stiles."

Lydia trails them with her eyes in delight. Derek walks first to the door—still exchanging snarky words with Stiles—and holds it open until Stiles is already outside, then opens his car's trunk, putting the plastic bags in it and close the trunk's door. He then proceeds to walk to the passenger's side, opens the door for Stiles before jogging around the front of the car to the driver's seat.

Who knows a fucking cliché with a face of broody and stubbly and mass murderer-y—Stiles' words, not hers—Derek Hale truly exists? She is conflicted between cooing and stifling a laugh. It's a hard effort, really, it's a fucking hilarious sight to witness, but utterly cute for words at the same time.

But then, another part of her is just really, really glad Stiles found Derek.


	2. Chapter 2: Scott - A Week Later

Scott doesn't know why Stiles hardly asks him to come to the Red Riding Hood together anymore. Okay, he totally knows why, he just doesn't want to admit the fact that his best friend—partner in crime, brother from another mother(and father), the one who vowed to marry him if they both didn't find a significant other by the end of their thirties—now has found someone, someone who actually matters.

Which, only fair, because he has Kira first, but wow, who says payback is a bitch? Jealousy definitely is, because even though this is kind of a payback, unintentional on Stiles' part, the jealousy is more a bitch than the payback is. And Scott isn't jealous. Of Derek. Nope. Not at all. Not a chance.

(He is)

So, anyway, yeah, because Stiles never texted him about the small shop anymore, he figures he would come on his own, because, what? He likes their foods and their drinks and it is not because he wants to spy on how Stiles and Derek interact. Stiles tells him everything. It's only a given Stiles would also tell him about the… development of Stiles and his crush's—not a crush, crush is a disgustingly major understatement—relationship, even though he had never seen them together.

But nope, he doesn't come to spy on them.

Except that he actually does.

When he goes to open the glass door, though, he pauses on his step. There, in the corner table where Derek usually sits, Stiles is talking a mile a minute like he often (always) is, arms flailing everywhere in gestures of what he's explaining about. But that's not what gets his attention. It's Derek. More specifically, it's Derek's eyes. Which are set on Stiles. And that is… that is not what Scott is preparing for.

He prepares for many things, really. For a douche like Jackson, Lydia's ex who moved to London, or someone who is attracted to Stiles physically—because no matter how much his best friend denies it, Stiles is attractive—or a fling—though he would kill the guy who's been noticed by Stiles for a year if he only goes for a fling—or someone who's looking for a more casual relationship.

Not… this.

The way Derek looks at Stiles is unexplainable. It's similar to how Lydia looks at Aiden, Ethan at Danny, how the Sheriff used to look at Stiles' mother before she passed away and now directed to Scott's mom, Isaac at Allison, maybe he at Kira, and so, so much more.

It's like Stiles is the brightest star of all, an invaluable treasure, a rare, once in a lifetime gift someone has given Derek.

And wow.

Suddenly, the weight in his shoulders (heart) is off, and he is so glad that it's Derek that Stiles found, and in return it's Stiles that Derek sees. Suddenly, he doesn't feel so jealous anymore.

He retreats from the door, feeling an urge to dial Kira's number and spend the entire day, week, month, year (lifetime) with her.


	3. Chapter 3: Ethan - Two and A Half Weeks

If Ethan were to be honest, after Danny—Aiden doesn't count—Scott and Stiles are the closest to him in their circle of group. He gets along more than fine with Scott, but with Stiles, it seems as if they have another level of understanding.

Of course it doesn't go as deep as Stiles' tie with Scott, nothing could, it's just that, he couldn't deny the fact that they sometimes don't need to voice their thoughts out loud to know what the other is thinking, and he has never shared that kind of friendship with anyone.

So, when he knows Stiles started to build up a crush on some stranger, went on for a year, and finally found their way to each other, the possessive streak he doesn't know he has in him has woken up.

He always asks Stiles the details about his and Derek's meetings, didn't forget to ask what Derek does for a living—which is a piano tutor for his sister's music school—and also never failed to say 'have fun, but be careful' to Stiles whenever he went on a date. The ironic part is, Ethan has never seen the Sterek—as their circle of friends (which is now magically including Derek's sisters, Laura and Cora) like to call it—in flesh, with just only the two of them.

Not until today.

Aiden asks him to buy a coffee from Red Riding Hood when he's walking to their shared flat—along with Danny, while Scott, Stiles and Isaac are their next-door neighbor—after a class from the university. So he, the best of twins he is, caves to Aiden's request and makes a stop for the small shop. He has never been here on his own account, always being dragged by either Stiles or Danny or both. But Danny has been busy and Stiles never took him here anymore.

When he opens the door, he knows why.

Stiles is there, of course Stiles is there, he's the one with an undying love for the shop out of the nine of them. He just finds out that Stiles never anymore pestered him about coming because that guy is spending time with Derek. Real genius, Ethan, how didn't he think of that before?

He walks to the cashier to order, watching the pair slightly while standing on the line. Stiles is facing his way, but is so busy with the foods on the table and Derek that his friend doesn't notice him coming one bit. They don't talk, much to his surprise, because Stiles could fill a silence just fine, more than fine, actually, that it's kind of weird seeing his friend doesn't try to streak a conversation.

Stiles munches on his second food—how that guy stays skinny, Ethan has no idea—and scrunches his nose. Derek takes the bottle of salt near him, giving it to Stiles who then flashes a grateful expression. Not even fifteen seconds later, Stiles manages to knock the cup of coffee down. Ethan would have laughed if he didn't watch Derek reflexively fixes the cup's position upright and takes a napkin to clean the table and Stiles' hand—which accidently touch the spilled liquid.

When Stiles smiles a soft, private smile, Derek gives Stiles back just as much.

He blinks once, twice.

Then it hits him.

They don't need words to communicate. Derek knows what Stiles needs in a heartbeat, as if they have done this for million times, and they'd only officially known each other for what, two and a half weeks now? They instead look like a two-and-a-half-decade old married couple.

Wow, how could he doubt Derek one bit when he hadn't even seen the guy closely? Stiles talks about Derek all the time, sure, but even though Stiles is one of the smartest people he knows, that guy isn't exactly the brightest of all when it comes to things directed toward himself, so Ethan wouldn't know that Derek is actually this… sweet—disgustingly sweet—around Stiles.

He quickly orders—a mocha for Aiden, cappuccino for him, hot chocolate for Danny—and a grin forms its way onto his face when he takes the take-away beverages while walking towards the door. When he first saw them as he entered the café, there was a thought to ruin the two's date, if only to see what would their reactions be. Now, though, not so much. He doesn't even need to look at Stiles to know his presence was still unknown to his friend.

He pulls up his phone, typing a text with his unoccupied hand.

**To: Stiles  
You made a good choice.**

He snickers when he almost immediately gets a reply of 'wtf are you talking about, dude?', and instead of replying back, he puts his phone to the back pocket of his jeans, grinning still.


	4. Chapter 4: Isaac - Three and A Half Week

When Isaac comes home from evening class one day, right when he's about to open the door, he hears laughter coming from inside of his flat. Not surprising, because he's roomed with Scott and Stiles, with Aiden, Ethan and Danny just next door, while the girls are not-rarely popped out of nowhere. And now they are friends with the Hale siblings. Who are almost as nosy as Stiles—except Derek, obviously. Not surprising at all, it is.

So, when he opens the door to see Stiles and Derek rolling on the floor—with some disgusting puddles on it, which suspiciously looks like chocolate or coffee—cackling, he has to admit he's a little bit taken aback. He wouldn't put it past Stiles to do this kind of idiotic things, really he wouldn't.

Derek, though.

Derek, who, for the short amount of time Isaac has known him, is a quiet type of person and looks like wouldn't do this kind of thing if his life depends on it. But now… the laughs, wow, does he could laugh. The sound emits an openness from Derek Isaac hasn't seen once, before. Or maybe he isn't supposed to see it. It's like it reserved only for Stiles.

And Isaac, despite his love-hate relationship with Stiles, couldn't help but preen about that hyperactive guy. Stiles makes someone happy, and it makes him wholly grateful to know he has a good and kind friend.

When they notice him—fucking finally—standing in the doorway with mouth opened, they stare, blink, and start laughing all over again, maybe at their own ridiculousness, or embarrassment (though he doubts they feel even remotely embarrassed), or maybe at nothing at all. He mumbles about how he couldn't get stupid people, knowing it wouldn't be heard through the couple's fit of laughter.

A not-so-quiet hour later—when he has taken a shower, and Stiles and Derek have taken one, too, after (thankfully) cleaning their mess on the floor, and Scott has come back from his date with Kira, now taking a bath himself—does Isaac sprawl on the couch, watching NCIS with Derek on the loveseat next to his couch. He watches as Stiles—hair still damp from the shower—set a tray on the coffee table, bringing four mugs with hot chocolate in it (Stiles could be an angel sometimes, when he wants to) and goes to sit next to Derek.

The guy takes one mug for him on his right hand, the other for Derek on his left, giving it to the older man as he settled down on the loveseat, only for Derek to get up from his seat, put the hot chocolate down on the table, and go to the kitchen without so much as a word. Isaac doesn't need a mirror to know he has the same confused expression as Stiles.

Derek comes back bringing a towel with him. He sits innocently beside Stiles, as if he hasn't just abruptly left, and plops said towel on Stiles' head, runs his hands through it gently. He eventually dries Stiles' hair.

"You could catch a cold." Derek explains shortly when Stiles just gapes at him. Stiles then smiles at Derek, looking like someone has dropped a sun on his day.

Isaac watches the interaction with wide eyes, forgetting his chocolate drink until Scott comes out of his room, snapping him out of the sickeningly overly cute after-images he has because of that fucking supposedly simple exchange between Stiles and Derek. He feels like marrying them right then and there, already, and smacks himself internally for the thought.

He shakes his head and looks at the ceiling. What's become of his life?


	5. Chapter 5: Allison - A Month Later

Allison could genuinely say she and Stiles are close friends.

They didn't start as the best of friends, only bonding because she was dating Scott in High School. But she knew from the first time she met him that he's a good person, kind at heart.

They learned their shared interest when they started university.

That day, Scott was having group works, Isaac went with the guys from his basketball club, Ethan and Danny were on a date, so was Lydia and Aiden, while the library Kira volunteered at was having a restocking and she helped. It left Stiles and Allison, the only two who had no plans at all crashed together at Stiles' flat.

The thing is, they both found the amusement to watch poor movies only to make fun of them in the middle of watching it. Allison has never met a person with the same weird hobby as her. Until she discovered Stiles', that is. At the end of the day, they both couldn't feel their asses from sitting on the couch without moving while watching Stiles' enormous collections of 'bad' movies.

They become a secret-monstrous-movies-bros, as Stiles mentions it, from that day onward.

Now, when the others are gone doing their things for the day and she thought Stiles is, too, while she doesn't have anything to do, Isaac calls her.

"Where are you right now?" he asks.

"Hello to you, too, Isaac."

"Sorry, but this is kinda important. Scott just mentioned this to me, but if you're not going anywhere today, could you check on Stiles?"

"What happened to him?"

"We don't know, we thought he was just too tired to move to his bed when he came home last night and immediately slept on the couch. He was still on the same position when both of us were leaving. We just want to make sure he's alright."

"I'm on my way."

"Thanks."

Scott and Isaac's fear is proven right when she enters their flat. Stiles is lying on the couch, still wearing the clothes she remembers him wearing yesterday. She gets a better look of him when she walks closer. He's sleeping, but his breathing is hard and his face flushed. She rushes to him, feeling the temperature on his head. It's burning.

Okay, she gets this. She should calm down and think.

Allison settles with bringing blankets, cooking simple dishes, making tea, and preparing a wet towel. She quietly nudges Stiles awake. It takes several minutes full of effort on her part.

"Stiles, you with me?"

"Al'son." He coughs.

"Could you sit up?"

"D'nt think so'."

"It's okay, but you should eat this, okay? I'll help." she gestures at the soup she made. He nods, surprisingly obedient when sick. "Do you want me to tell Derek?"

Stiles shakes his head. "He'll worry." A point there, but she does, anyway (behind Stiles' back of course). She bets Derek hasn't heard from Stiles all day, and it's almost noon.

She's half way to feeding him when there's a knock on the door. She gets up from her position on the floor across from Stiles, opening the door to see Derek standing there.

"How is he?" Derek asks.

Allison doesn't get to answer as she hears Stiles groans, "Al'son, jus' so u kno', I feel b'trayed."

She sighs an apology and gestures for Derek to look at Stiles for himself. She settles herself in the loveseat all the while telling Derek Stiles hasn't finished eating. Derek nods. She watches him lifting Stiles as if those 147 pounds of flailing limbs weighs nothing, putting Stiles on his lap, reaching for the soup and feeding her sick friend.

Huh, she wouldn't have been able to pull a stunt like that.

Of course it'll be easier for Derek to feed Stiles when he's sitting upright. She was so careful when she did it so that she wouldn't leave a mess on the floor or the couch. She had to do it for almost twenty minutes because of that, but Derek is done with his task in no more than five. Great, she should've called him sooner.

"Want to lie down?" Derek asks.

Stiles, who has his head resting on Derek's shoulder, right arm pressing Derek's chest, his back wrapped around Derek's arm, one hand entwined with Derek's, shakes his head. Allison would do the same if she were Stiles. That looks so sickeningly cute and very, very comfortable. Derek whispers an 'okay' on his temple, kissing it lightly, as if afraid he might've hurt Stiles if he touches harder than that.

She turns the TV on—but turns the volume down—if only so that she'd have something to do other than watching private moments between the two lovebirds. She keeps sending them glances every five seconds, however. What? She couldn't help herself, okay? They are just so in sync with each other they make every other couple in the whole world looks bad.

She must have dozed off, because she jerks herself awake when Derek calls her name.

"You could go home if you're tired. I'll stay with him." He says.

Allison nods an agreement. When she gets up from her seat, Derek mirrors her, doing the same. He carries a sleeping Stiles in his arms. Bridal. Style. Holy—she resists a face-palm. Lydia wasn't kidding when she said Derek is an embodiment of cliché inside his tough appearance.

"Thanks for calling me, Allison." He smiles.

She replies with a 'you're welcome' and a smile of her own before he disappears into Stiles room.


	6. Chapter 6: Stiles - A Month and A Half

A/N: thanks for sticking around so far! also for the reviews! there will be sequels, lots of it ;)

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It's been a long day at the university.

Major understatement, really, he stays up all night last night to complete the project—not his fault, really not his fault, he'd already done it days ago and his partner had the nerve to lost all the data they had—for one of his classes. As luck would have it, he woke up late—he fucking knew he should just stay awake—and didn't have the time to come by to the Red Riding Hood, missing the amount of caffeine (and the amount of Derek) needed for him to function all day.

He ran to class and went in head first—literally—only to be five minutes late and got the back-est of the seat. He has a passionate hate relationship with the back seat, thank you very much. Thankfully—the only thing could be grateful about as long as his day has gone on—the lecturer was late, like, twenty minutes late. When he was on a break, he realized he hadn't gotten a breakfast, forgot his wallet, no single one of his friends has the same schedule as him today, thus him not eating for the rest of the day.

Not to mention every one of his professor decides to be a jerk for the day.

He's so fucking tired, he just wants to go home and plops face first onto the pillow. He knows he at least deserves that kind of privilege.

It's already dark outside. Today's last lesson had been prolonged—another shitty thing he subconsciously added to his list of shitty things that happens on Stiles' shitty day (how many shitty words in one sentence are there?)—and he's only walking back home. He's ten minutes to his shared flat when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He takes it reluctantly at first, but smiles a little when the sender name shows Derek.

**To: Stiles  
Done with your class yet? Wanna make a stop at the shop?**

**To: Derek  
Sorry, too tired. I'll make up for it tomorrow.**

**To: Stiles  
Don't bother. Want me to drop by your place?**

The smile grows. Okay, maybe talking to Derek helps his mind a little (much, much more than a little) and that it definitely takes the weight off his shoulder. Derek is always able to do that, actually. It's only been a month and a half since they got together, but he oddly feels at ease whenever Derek is around.

**To: Derek  
If it's no trouble, yes, please.**

**To: Stiles  
I'll be there in five.**

**To: Derek  
Scott and Isaac are there, if I'm not home by the time you arrive.**

He enters his flat to Isaac playing video games with Scott on the living room, no Derek Hale in sight. He sighs, maybe Derek hasn't shown up. He pointedly ignores his best friends when they greet him, waving dismissively as he walks to his bedroom.

Only to find it filled with the smell of coffee, and Derek Hale sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard while reading a book.

He gapes, dazedly walking to his desk with a cup of what looks like cappuccino on it and two slices of big sandwiches on a plate next to the cup, asking "Is this for me?"

Derek makes an amused expression. "Yes, Stiles."

He doesn't say anything else, instead sitting on the computer chair and devouring the foods and drink prepared for him, stifling a moan every time he takes a bite. So fucking delicious. He doesn't even realize he's that hungry before he ate the sandwiches. By the time he finishes, holding the cup to his mouth with the last drop of coffee in it, Derek walks slowly towards him.

"Thanks." He says, couldn't anymore convey how Derek just makes his day ten thousand times better.

"You're welcome."

Stiles watches Derek takes the dishes out of his room, already back in no more than a minute and drags Stiles across the room, making him sit on the bed. Derek takes Stiles' jacket and clothes and jeans off, leaving him shirtless with only a pair of boxers covering his legs. Derek then retreats to the drawer on the corner's wall, pulling out a pair of sweat pants and a tee, carefully putting them on him.

He wouldn't voice this out, but he secretly loves it when Derek pampers him. And he knows Derek loves pampering him just as much.

"Are you staying?" he asks when Derek's finally done dressing him.

"It depends." Derek answers, betraying the thing he's currently doing—which is undressing himself in front of Stiles' drawer, knowing there are his sleeping clothes somewhere in there.

"Depends on what?" he questions, if only to play along.

Derek shrugs, "What is the benefit for me if I spend the night?"

"You've got to share a bed with the most awesome person in the whole world?"

Derek snorts, "Yeah, right."

"Just for that, Derek, you take the couch." As Stiles says this, Derek has already lied him down on his side of the bed, tucking him into the comforter, and then getting inside the layers of blankets himself—it's almost winter, by the way.

"If this is what you would call couch, I wonder how comfy your bed might be, Stiles." Derek teases while pulling him closer to his chest.

Stiles sighs in contentment, totally unwilling to return with a sarcastic remark. So he settles with, "Comfy enough when I actually have someone to snuggle up with."

"Someone as of anyone?"

"Someone as of you."

The older man pulls away just enough for them to look at each other and gives Stiles one of his rarest smiles, one that is only seen when there are only just the two of them. Derek leans closer, placing his lips on Stiles' nose, jaw, cheek, temple and forehead, exactly in that order. Stiles loves moments like these, when after trailing kisses all over Stiles' face, he would stop so that they would stare at each other, before finally drawing closer for a final kiss on the lips.

A gentle, chaste kiss, he must add.

It makes his stomach flutter and feels like he's the sappiest person on earth. It has him grinning like a loon and in return looking at the same expression—only softer—on Derek's face. It gives him these tingling feelings and butterflies in his heart.

And then he realizes, though he had never said it out loud, that he falls in love all over again.

Derek is never one for big gestures like giving flowers every single day or bringing him to fine diners every single night. Derek has… his own way. And for all the little things Derek does for him, he falls more and more deeply.

They settle back to their initial position, his head tucked under Derek's chin, arms and feet tangling and mingling with each other's. He inhales Derek's scent while Derek does his, thinking that, as he closes his eyes, although they have done this for a month and a half, now, he couldn't really definitely get used to this. Not without feeling slightly breathless, heart hammering in his chest.

But he finds that he doesn't mind, not in the littlest bit.


End file.
